A model version of the Anthropomorphic Ram sits in Colorado State University Athletics Director Jack Graham's office. / Matt L. Stephens/The Coloradoan

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Maryland has Testudo, Wyoming has Cowboy Tough and soon CSU will have the Anthropomorphic Ram.

That’s the idea, at least.

Colorado State University hasn’t given a proposed $246 million on-campus football stadium the green light, but Athletics Director Jack Graham hopes to include a statue of a grizzled CAM the Ram if the venue is built.

The Anthropomorphic Ram is a sculpture carved by CSU interior design instructor Robert Work that places CAM in a three-point stance, wearing a football uniform with No. 18 on the front and No. 70 on the back in recognition of the year the school was founded.

Work came up with the idea in 2011 after hearing rumors circulating about CSU wanting to build a new on-campus stadium. His father and grandfather both taught at the university, which led to Work’s wife, Pam, suggesting he create something to give back. He agreed and quickly went to his sketch pad to draw what he thought would be inspiring for the Rams.

“What if CAM the Ram was just massive? What if he was at the stadium looking down on everybody? What if he were bigger than people? Would that be intimidating to other teams and inspiring for us?” Work said. “I showed my model to (associate athletic director) Gary Ozzello, he loved it, then I got an audience with Jack and he digged it. I told him to hold onto it.”

The small bronzed statue, which took six months to complete, now sits in Graham’s office as the centerpiece to his conference table, but should a new stadium be built near the intersection of Meridian Avenue and Pitkin Street, the initial plan is to install a much larger version.

Graham and Work have discussed the statue standing anywhere from 10 to 16 feet tall with the head hovering about 6 feet above the ground for photo opportunities. Its location at the proposed stadium hasn’t been decided.

Work’s statue isn’t meant to replace the Rocky Mountain Rumble as the only statue outside of the proposed venue. Graham mentioned it could be in addition to Rocky Mountain Rumble, a statue of two sparring rams designed by Dawn Weimer of Loveland and pictured in artist renderings of the stadium.

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However, unlike Weimer’s statue, the Anthropomorphic Ram still needs to be sculpted at full scale, a process Work expects to take at least one year. He’s worked on a similar project for Missouri Baptist University, designing a 9½-foot-tall spartan that now stands outside the school’s basketball arena.

Work wouldn’t say how much the CSU sculpture would cost but said since sculpting isn’t his full-time job, he’d be able to do it for cheaper than most artists and joked it was why Graham was still considering commissioning the statue.

“This statue really embodies the history of football at Colorado State University,” Graham said. “We want to use this as a rally point. It has a ‘wow factor’ that makes you think it’s really cool. ...

“We hope to use this image to brand the football program going forward. There are a lot of things we still need to do to actually fulfill that, but we think we’ll be successful.”